


The Doc's Out

by Bremmatron33



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Mild robo gore, Sexual Language
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 14:54:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8165833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bremmatron33/pseuds/Bremmatron33
Summary: With Knock Out's death the Decepticons numbers are dwindling. Soundwave finally admits to himself that something needs to be done. Luckily the Con Doc had one last trick stashed beneath his plating.





	1. Life and death.

**Author's Note:**

> So I should have put this up a while ago but I reworked it and like it better now. Hopefully you all like it.

Knock Out had gone missing for a little over four cycles. Megatron had been furious and had sent Dreadwing out with no avail. With the medic’s signal gone it wasn’t the easiest search. When the jet returned with empty servos the three couldn’t help but look at each other for quite some time. Starscream, Airachnid, Breakdown, and now Knock Out were gone. Not by Autobot servos but ,and it pained Soundwave to admit this, likely Megatron’s. Directly and indirectly. The spy couldn’t even find it in his spark to blame them. It wasn’t treachery in it’s purest form that drove them away. It was fear. Fear that drove them to treachery. Which drove Megatron to fear which made him angry which only caused more fear. An unstable loop. Soundwave couldn’t deny Megatron’s madness or condone it but he enabled it. They were loyal to each other and the cause and Megatron was the only one strong enough to take down Optimus Prime. The only one strong enough to lead and win the war. He was Soundwave’s friend just as much as he was a Decepticon tool. Even still as Soundwave wandered through the groaning barracks of wounded vehicons, dying where they sat, he couldn’t help wonder if Megatron cost too much the way he was.

One thing was for sure, he would be worth nothing if Knock Out went to the Autobots. Knock Out may not have been an eager fighter but that didn’t mean he wasn’t one entirely. Knock Out was simply dangerous in different ways. What he lacked in physical prowess he made up for in cunning, deception, creativity, adaptability. Knock Out was observant and decisive what most considered posturing and bantering bluffs was the medic buying time. Time to analyze the enemy to their very core. Time to deconstruct them. Time to find the perfect way to tear them apart. At least... it had been at one point. So when Knock Out wanted something done it was done. As a medic he knew not only Megatron’s in’s and out’s but Soundwave’s own. He could relay that information to Optimus or any Autobot so they could hit all the right places. If he had defected he had to be put down. So when Soundwave noticed Knock Out’s signal pop up for a few seconds he didn’t ignore it like he did with Starscream’s.

As he headed back to his quarters to acquire some extra protection, Knock Out would go down but not easily if he had already made it to the Autobots, Megatron caught him in the hallway. “Soundwave? You look so serious. What’s wrong?”

“ _Knock Out!_ ” Megatron’s optics grew wide from the sound of his own voice being played back at him but easily composed himself.

“So our dear medic finally called. Is he injured?” Megatron didn’t sound all that interested or concerned as if he was only asking if it was good flying weather today. Soundwave displayed a small question mark on his visor. “You don’t know? Did he call?” Soundwave shook his head. “I can trust you to handle this situation for me. I rather not lose the Doctor but if he’s committed-”

“ _Put him down_. Understood.”

“Be gentle with him Soundwave. I think we can allow to give our medic another chance don’t you? He’s not exactly a threat and grief makes mechs do stupid things. If you can get him back without compromising your safety do so.”

“Understood.” It was moments of clarity like that, that kept conflicting Soundwave. More than anything they let him put off coming to terms with the state of Decepticon affairs had turned into nothing more than something akin to a human television drama. He gathered what he needed from his quarters and formed a portal for himself. As soon as he stepped into the dark forest Soundwave knew what Knock Out had done. The area was littered with metal bits and one of the medic’s wheels was stuck high up in a thick webbing. Bits of purple metal were scattered about as well and as he wandered he found a small pile of thin legs, A few more feet closer to Knock Out’s signal Soundwave found her. Airachnid was just a head and torso sitting against a tree. He nudged what was left of her with a ped. The doctor was notorious for leaving his victims alive and wailing. Every mech can be swayed and if not every mech can be broken he would often say in his darker more serious days. Knock Out often liked to break things to repurpose them for a better use. Seemed he had no interest in Airachnid though. She was not only dead but gutted. A shame Soundwave had always agreed with that sentiment.

Finally Soundwave found the cave where the signal was coming from, only he wasn’t alone. Ratchet was there. The Bot’s signal had popped onto the spy’s screen as he turned a corner and was nearing Knock Out. Either Knock Out had called him or the Autobots were just soft as usual. Hard to tell. Turning into the “room” of the cave he saw Ratchet on the floor hunched over the other medic. His servos moved slowly as he ran them over Knock Out’s frame. He was whispering softly, comforting Knock Out? Begging him to stay strong perhaps? Both? He turned when Soundwave stepped forward.

Ratchet jumped to his peds and backed away slightly. Soundwave took the chance to look Knock Out over. It was bad. He was full of holes and missing chunks of his frame. Leaking everywhere and was scorched and melted in areas. Airachnid had shot him in his tanks. Likely poisoned him too. The arm that was still attached was hanging by its wires. The other along with his other back wheel, a leg, and what looked to be two still glowing spark frames was in a pile behind him. Slowly Soundwave turned his focus back to Ratchet. “Status? _Doctor_?”

Ratchet’s face turned to a scowl. “Seriously! He’s dying! I was trying to help him. Let me help him.”

“Negative. _Were you summoned?_ ”

“What does it matter? You’re killing him either way! If he comes with me he’ll live.”

“Negative. _Knock Out- Stronger- No need_.”

“You actually think he’s going to be able to heal himself? HE’S SEPTIC! His body’s torn apart! I don’t even know how he’s still holding on!”

“ _Ahahaha~ I have my secrets~ He’s-_ Healing- Now- _Such a shame to be old_.” Ratchet reeled back at Soundwave’s use of Knock Out’s own words.

“A stasis heal isn’t going to fix this! LOOK AT HIM!”

“ _He’s- Done it- Before_.”

“From SEPSIS? He’s deteriorating faster than his auto repair can handle!” Soundwave paused. He wasn’t a medic. All he knew were rumors. Knock Out was supposed to have an auto repair that rivaled Starscream’s and that was a feat. Did that fix sickness as well as wounds? “Awfully quiet now aren’t you.”

“ _You’ll be-_ Healing- _A dead mech!_ ”

“What do you mean?”

“ _He knows too much! You know- So- Little. If you care so much about him- Come with me._ ”

“That’s not happening. I know too much.”

“ _You’re- Dying- Anyway. Choose when._ ”

“Really? You think I came alone?” Soundwave quickly refreshed his map again and again till the other signal deeper in the cave popped up. The unstable Wrecker. With one word he’d blow up the cave without a second thought. The Autobots were likely already on high alert. They would get away. Soundwave would be able to save himself but getting Knock Out and all his parts back? Unlikely.

“ _An- Impasse- Then._ ”

“The longer we wait the worse his chances.”

“ _How to- Fix him!_ ”

“WHO,YOU! I would be lucky to save his life let alone YOU or any other hack you Cons might fish up!” In a flash Soundwave rushed forward and slammed Ratchet against the wall with his tendrils making sure to keep a safe distance. He didn’t need the medic to tell him what he could and couldn’t do. Knock Out would have plenty of books back on the ship. How hard could it truly be? Ratchet was being stubborn though. Fighting against the tendrils clamped on his wrists. His determination was useless. Soundwave had to get the old mech out of the picture. A small loss he was better off alive medics weren’t exactly plentiful on either side and if Knock Out really didn’t make it. When Megatron finally finished off Prime the old medic would come to his senses. Soundwave wrapped his tendrils around the medic and in a swift movement switched their positions by throwing the Bot to the exit of the small room.

“LEAVE. AUTOBOT!” Ratchet hissed and huffed but stood his ground. Intimidation wasn’t working. What a fool.

“I’m not leaving him to ROT with you! For Primus sake at least- At least let me make it quick.” Ratchet rushed in and caught a lucky blow slamming his fist hard against the spy’s chest. Against Laserbeak. Soundwave quickly jumped back when he heard the bird screech in pain in his audial. “He dies with you or he dies with me.” Ratchet had switched to his scalpel. “If there’s one thing I know for sure though it’s that Megatron never lets anything go easily. He’ll be stuck in his medbay suffering cycle after cycle until that lunatic gets fed up and throws him away! Just like Megatron does with the rest of his soldiers!”

“Quiet.” Soundwave had settled Laserbeak and was thinking up a plan. The old medic wasn’t going willingly? Fine. He was going with them to the Nemesis today then whether he liked it or not. As he took a step closer to Knock Out Soundwave shot out one of his tendrils, the ends sparking wildly. Ratchet narrowly dodged out of the way. The old medic slipped and crashed to the ground. It only took a second for a the Wrecker to respond to the noise.

“DOC! What’s up!” Ratchet huffed and tried to whisper his response but it was futile being sneaky when Soundwave was around.

“Ran into some trouble.”

“I’m on my way.”

Soundwave would be out of there by then. He had to do something risky. Opening two portals, one beneath Knock Out and another beneath the small pile of his parts caused both to fall through the floor and into the abyss of the ether and hopefully onto the Nemesis. With that taken care of Soundwave rushed Ratchet. Unfortunately the Wrecker came quicker than expected. Soundwave easily deflected Wheeljack’s whip but the second the bigger mech pulled out a grenade Soundwave was out of there.

As he stalked out of the ground bridge he remembered his rather unorthodox rescue. Knock Out was in a crumbled heap beneath the parts he had also sent though. Some on duty Vehicons were gawking. Soundwave quickly instructed them to tend to the medic. Mission accomplished.

Unfortunately like Ratchet had predicted the other Cons had next to nothing to help the Doctor with. Soundwave had instructed Dreadwing and the Vehicons to take over while he worked on the Iacon databases but after two days it was clear the idea was a failure. Knock Out was only getting worse. Thanks to the energon they were pumping into him his frame was continuing to rot and crumble. He was showing no signs of waking from stasis either which meant they couldn’t even use the medic’s own personal knowledge to help save him. Even more frustrating Ratchet had also predicted Lord Megatron’s impatience. Although the leader gave up much quicker than the old medic likely predicted. That was...something.

Soundwave was at the computer when Megatron approached him. “Soundwave?”

“Query?”

“Yes. I know I told you to bring Knock Out back if you could but..I didn’t expect you to bring back a corpse.”

“ _Knock Out- Will- Heal._ ” Megatron looked away for a moment.

“I doubt it, As I am sure you are aware we no longer have a medic to heal him and Dreadwing thinks keeping him alive in his state is….. cruel. I know our numbers have dwindled but he’s useless to us now.”

“ _Knock Out- Will-Heal._ ” Megatron curled and flexed his digits.

“Soundwave I know I keep you busy and I honestly don’t expect you to care about him but have you seen the good doctor? I’m afraid he went downhill quite fast.” Soundwave hadn’t seen him first hand but the smell of him had been leaking out of the medbay and-perfuming the halls and it was making everyone who had to pass through that area of the ship quite sick. “I’m going to guess that’s a no. So we are both aware of our policy concerning mortally wounded crewmates and I and Dreadwing have decided to kill him and since Knock Out had no specific demands what should happen in this situation I am forcefully obliged to count his vote as let him live which leaves us tied. So I am ordering you to go in there and reassess your judgment and make a better decision.” Soundwave stilled his digits and the flowing wall of text stilled to a halt. Orders were orders. “I trust that you will see reason. I’ll be on the command deck when you are done. I’m going to search Knock Out’s quarters to see if we can’t do….something for him.”

Soundwave stalked down the Nemesis halls. The smell of rot and corroded chemicals filling the air the closer he got to the medbay. The smell of the dead and or dying wasn’t unfamiliar to the ex-gladiator so unlike the weak vehicons he remained unaffected. Opening the doors and actually entering the medbay however stopped him for a moment. The odor hit Soundwave like a wall and while he didn’t react he certainly had to swallow some energon that had risen in his throat. It had been quite a long time since he had been privileged to such a strong smell. Visions of battlefields flashed through his processor but quickly faded. He had orders after all.

One look at Knock Out and Soundwave knew something was wrong. The spark monitor that Dreadwing had managed to hook up was beeping steadily as ever but Knock Out himself looked like something that shouldn’t have been alive as the medic supposedly was. Black ooze was dripping from the table and had formed a puddle around the area that was, by the look of it, slowly corroding the floor. Soundwave kept a safe distance, deploying his tendrils to pick up the medic to bring him closer. As he lifted him up what was left of Knock Out’s lower body fell away. Milky green and purple energon gushing from his cleaved tanks. Soundwave quickly ripped the IV from the fuel line to stop the flow. A sizable hole was already formed in the medical table beneath Knock Out any further damage and they would have to scrap the equipment. The spark monitor remained unchanged so despite the slight burn in his tendrils Soundwave gave it a second attempt and carried Knock Out’s torso up and over.

It didn’t make any sense for Knock Out to still be alive. It just didn’t. Neither Megatron nor Starscream could have survived something like this and yet Knock Out’s spark soldiered on. Lord Megatron was right. Knock Out was never going to recover from this. Certainly not now. A cold flash seized the spy’s spark for just a moment. The Autobot could have saved him. They had less supplies and less firepower but they had luck on their side. Stupid luck. It didn't matter now. Soundwave quickly pushed the thought away. Megatron would likely use his gun to finish the medic off but that ,despite the macabre irony his death would be, was simply overkill. There would be literally nothing of Knock Out left after a blow like that and while Soundwave had no real warm feelings towards the Doctor since his malaise set in...well in the past they had once been agreeable. Knock Out was not as poor of a medic as Megatron bemoaned and likely despite the bravado Knock Out himself believed. He was just a poor Doctor and while some might not see the difference between the two there in fact was a great deal in Soundwave's own oppinion. That lead in to the other thought that was nagging at Soundwave's spark. The Autobots were getting brutal. Soundwave had been watchful when Starscream made the calls for help. Knock Out had been the only one out of almost fifty medics who had picked up.

Starscream had tried many times too. Day after day after day. Fifty calls no answer. None till Breakdown picked up and reported that the two of them were on earth already. Stupid vengeful Breakdown who was only loyal because he truly despised the Autobots and had nowhere else to go besides under Knock Out’s wing- The simple fact was there were no more medics. Knock Out and Breakdown were it. No medic. No scientists. No way to replenish the Vehicons. Things would need to be changed. Megatron would need to change but Soundwave was afraid- Knew he wouldn’t. As Soundwave peeled open Knock Out’s chest plates they creaked and leached more fluid till finally cracking away. Inside Knock Out’s bright opalescent spark glowed and crackled gently, a slight glowing gold halo around it pulsing weakly. Strangely like the other frames Soundwave had found at the scene it was embedded in a circular frame with a bright blue ring of what looked like of uncut energon inside it surrounding the spark. Soundwave dipped his tendrils into the muck that had become of Knock Out’s internals and easily popped the spark frame out. The spark remained the same. So slowly he pried off the wireless device that connected it to the monitor and went to look for a towel to clean it off. As he did the spark monitor screamed its alert. Soundwave let it be. Let it herald Knock Out’s death. If Megatron could hear it he would be satisfied. He wouldn’t ask questions.

As Soundwave cleaned off Knock Out’s spark he took a quick walk around the lab, searching. The other two frames had been dumped on a table likely deemed worthless by the vehicons. One spark was a bright beautiful gold with swirling white wisps. The other shimmering lavender with crackles of black. Soundwave assumed one Airachnid and the other amazingly Breakdown. The femme must have taken it as a trophy before whatever happened to the rest of Breakdown happened. How lucky. Now what to do with them? Soundwave had an idea but…..he couldn’t tell Lord Megatron.

As Dreadwing rushed in Soundwave slipped past him. The jet looked down at Knock Out’s destroyed corpse then back at Soundwave. His face falling as he looked back in. Knock Out had already been in bad shape was the likely rough handling really necessary? Did the Cons have no respect left for the dead? Even for a teammate! He sighed loudly and went to work cleaning up the mess. Not much could be done now.

Back in the hall Soundwave took a quick detour to his personal quarters before meeting up with Megatron. The leader as expected was pleased but he would be even more pleased if Soundwave’s plans proved fruitful. Unfortunately he could do nothing on his own. He needed someone with a little science expertise. He needed Starscream.

After spending a rather annoying few hours creating a new program to run the Iacon databases through while he snuck out Soundwave deployed Laserbeak, gave her instructions, retrieved the spark frames, and flew off. Wherever Starscream was he had a lab. A lab that had protoforms. If there were more there together they could revive Knock Out, Breakdown, and Airachnid. Everything fixed. Hopefully the three would be appreciative enough to cool it for a hot nanoclik on the treason and dying. Starscream would take some convincing but he would be convinced, if anything to get his precious t-cog back.

At the Harbinger Soundwave slunked and snaked through the dark busted halls. Starscream was in the predicted lab recharging on a slab. The spy did a walk around before going back to the other jet. In the opposite corner of the lab were the protoforms luckily there were still a few left in the incubators.  A figure skewered on a wall caught his attention, one of Starscream’s failed clones. It had been gutted for parts but after a bit more searching Soundwave found Starscream had done nothing with them yet. Good he would still be desperate. He would have his own desires. He would want to bring Knock Out back to life at least.

Soundwave gave Starscream a tap and watched the jet’s optics light up as he screamed and cowered. When Soundwave remained still however Starscream slowly straightened out. “What in the Pit are you doing here?! No matter you’re a fool for waiting to kill me!” Starscream leveled his arm at Soundwave but the other jet simply put a thin boxy digit on the tip of the missile and slowly lowered it. Starscream ,after a bit of struggle, let it be. If Soundwave had wanted him dead he would have been in the Well by now. “Soundwave~ how unusually civil of you? Something wrong? Megatron loose a few too many bolts? You know I am always happy to offer my natural leadership to the cause in times of peril.”

“Negative.” Soundwave reached into his subspace and pulled out one of the spark frames then pointed to the protoforms. Starscream’s optics almost glowed at the promise of a challenge.

“What have you got there?” Starscream reached out to take the glowing disk to inspect it. Soundwave let him have it and brought out the other two.

“ _Knock Out! Breakdown~ Airachnid._ ” Slowly Soundwave moved his digits to distinguish each one. Starscream looked at the one in his servos his optic ridges falling a little.

“Knock Out? Really? How?” Soundwave moved his finger over to Airachnid’s spark.

“ _From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._ ”

“I don’t think that one’s quite apropos. A little too dramatic if you ask me. I don’t think Airachnid cared that much about Knock Out and Breakdown being a thing.”

“ _Everybody wanna steal my girl. Everybody wanna take her heart away._ ”

“Literally or figuratively?”

“Affirmative.”

“Both then. Well….” Starscream looked back over to the incubators, “I suppose it could work but- They’re just sparks Soundwave. They won’t have any memories.”

“Affirmative. _Good._ ”

“Are you sure? Knock Out and Breakdown were heavy modders and who knows what Airachnid was like before the war? Aside from Breakdown I don’t even know what Knock Out and Airachnid were built for. You could get three useless lumps. Sparks contain some deeply hardwired memories that might come back but more likely than not you’re going to get blank slates. New molds.”

“Affirmative. _Make it so!_ ”

“What do I get out of this? I don’t think bringing three new molds to life is really going to ease Lord Megatron’s ire just because they used to be compatriots. In fact it might just make him angrier.”

“ _Parley._ ”

“Parley huh?” Starscream thought on the offer. “I don’t think I could make a good enough case for myself even with you behind me.”

“ _Knock Out!_ ”

“I can keep Knock Out?”

“Affirmative. _Hold it! Will his memory return doctor?_ ”

“Yes yes I get the gist. If Knock Out actually becomes useful again I have to let him go but not before he fixes my T-cog.” Soundwave nodded that was pretty expected demand. Starscream side eyed the spy a moment or two longer trying to detect anything but Soundwave was being far too chatty. Too personal for this to be some sort of trap or order. Soundwave had made a calculated risk coming here. All for officers he didn’t really care that much about. How strange. “What about fuel? I’ll have a second tank that needs filling if I’m going to try and retrain the Doctor for you and I’m barely surviving myself.”

“ _It shall be done._ ”

“Well... it must be getting real tough up there with only you three. Your being so agreeable. I guess I won’t push my luck so let’s see what I can get.”

Starscream had quickly done some scrapings. Pressed some buttons and put some sparks in place and then pressed more buttons. Then they waited easy as that. Soundwave had expected a bit more flare but then again he was a spy not a scientist. The two waited for almost an hour as the Protoforms slowly took shape. Much quicker than in nature but much slower than the instantaneous clones. But just as boring as all three things. At some point Starscream had powered down again. Nothing deep... but enough. With low fuel and under high stress he hadn’t exactly been doing well. Starscream may not have been even a decent mech any longer but as with Knock Out despite the deep fissures between his comrades it was a little disheartening to Soundwave to see them wasting away. He had a few extra cubes in his subspace. He’d hand one over once Starscream woke up.

That moment came quicker than Soundwave could have guessed. The alarm to the incubators beeped loudly as steam escaped from the cracks of the machine. Soundwave had just leaned up to see if he could catch a peek when Starscream jolted awake and glared at the other jet. “Well jee why don’t I get it since you’re too inept to press a button.” Soundwave glared at the jet’s back imagining a slow hole burning through him. Despite his sarcasm Starscream’s wings twitched excitedly up and down as he made his way over. He pressed the release button and let the rest of the steam billow out before skipping over to see what he had managed to make. With his wings hiked high he slowly whispered to himself in anticipation but when the smoke finally cleared they dropped. Starscream was silent for a long moment but as Soundwave stood to see the new molds Starscream turned back to him. “Yeah~ New deal. I want Breakdown. You can have the other two.”


	2. Vehicon pride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooh! chapter two. Hope you like the headcannons both for Airachnid and the Vehicon servants because honestly the idea that the higher officers don't just have their own personal vehicons is really killing the idea of vehicon hierarchy that I want to be a thing. Plus you know Starscream is used to having like fifty of them all doing his bidding. I guess you can assume that the other mechs wouldn't trust them enough because they're dumb but the vehicons never really seem that dumb and they are fiercely loyal so why not.

If Soundwave had a mouth to leave agape it would have been. The three all looked like themselves in some way or another except…. Well they were certainly were new molds in every sense of the word. Airachnid was the most similar. She was- It looked like she had been sent back in time. Back before whatever catalyst had made her the heartless and sadistic terror she had become. With her sky blue, gold, and white paintjob she looked more like an alien princess than any Cybertronian, let alone some lethal collector. Breakdown was expected. He looked just like the Autobot scout he had been before Shockwave and Knock Out did their thing reforming him to fit with the other Stunticons. Remarkably like a mixture of the unstable wrecker and the Autobot’s new recruit. He had lost a good chunk of height and bulk and was sporting a more preppy color scheme but a scout was a scout. Even without his memories he would be the most useful. In fact all Soundwave really had to do was give him an unrecognisable paint job, perhaps a new helm, and he could probably pass the old bruiser off as a new found recruit. Perhaps they could even pass him off as another Autobot.

Knock Out took the biggest toll. Without his upgrades he was taller and sturdier than Airachnid but had lost a lot of height and mass. With his leaner frame he looked like a strong wind could knock him over on a bad day. The medic had also lost two of his wheels, the ones that he had left were firmly seated in the curves of his thighs leaving his tapered digigrade peds looking empty and unfinished. With a new...or well old more slicked back helm and phthalo green and cream paint job he was nearly unrecognizable despite a few similar upper body contours. Same shoulder caps, same headlights, same shield like chest plate. Just all more compact. It all gave him a rather- Well admittedly Starscream put it best. “He looks like a Senator’s lap warmer! More than he did so that’s saying something and to be honest I can’t trust myself around that. You take him. I’ll keep Breakdown. He may have been denser than Knock Out but he’s still a nurse in there somewhere. He could easily do the surgery if his memories come back.”

Soundwave tentatively put a servo on the glass of Knock Out’s chamber. It was so strange to see the once officers looking so young and unphased. So full of potential. The thought of squandering it...even Breakdown who could likely already hold his own where the war was considered would be better off with Starscream honing his skills than being thrown right out with the Vehicons to stand his own against Primes team. Still Soundwave needed to bring back something and Airachnid and Knock Out were both better off with Starscream. Breakdown would just have to learn on his peds. “Denied.”

“Denied?! Soundwave be reasonable! If I keep Knock Out you would constantly have to risk bringing me fuel! If I keep Breakdown you can just give me the location of an energon mine and just mark it drained! He can do all the mining for me! I’ll give you some. Knock Out should be able to make you some decent energex while he keeps that spike of yours nice and perky.”

“Denied.”

“I get it I know Breakdown’s the only one that will be useful as soon as we wake him up but come on! Look at that face. Megatron will love it if you don’t want him.”

“Denied.”

“Well I’m not letting them out and letting you leave until I get a better deal so do you have any brilliant suggestions?”

* * *

 

By the time they were done Starscream was somehow staring at two blinking new molds. In the last moment Soundwave decided to leave Airachnid thinking Megatron wouldn’t want her around just yet “reformed” or no. So after jolting Breakdown online Soundwave took just him and promised that two vehicons would be coming with an energon location, a bit of mining equipment, and plenty of books for Knock Out. As long as Starscream was doing his best with the “new recruits” the jet’s secret would be safely between them. Lucky Starscream.

The aforementioned jet sighed as he spared another glance down at the barely waist high mechs. Breakdown had left with little to say. As expected with his military background it didn’t take much to convince him of his place and the reality they were facing. Starscream could only hope that Airachnid and Knock Out would be just as easy. So with the two starting to look worried he hiked his wings up as high as he could and addressed the new molds. “Well...I’m sure you two must have questions. You will address me as Master Starscream as you ask them. Take turns and nothing too complicated!”

Knock Out and Airachnid glanced at each other Knock Out tilted his head as if he didn’t know what he was doing so Airachnid took the interrogation into her own servos. “Who are you?”

Starscream rolled his optics. “Master Starscream. Who are you Master Starscream?”

“That remains to be seen so answer?” Starscream glared down at Airachnid. Remained to be seen! What remained to be seen they had just woken up!

“Considering I created you I think the title is only appropriate! As for who I am the only thing you need to worry about is that I’m in charge and you have to listen to me!” Starscream hoped getting in the femme’s faceplate would intimidate her but she stared up with disapproving pink optics rather unphased.

 

“Created me! I’m Well forged thank you very much! Solus was the only mech who helped to create me!” Starscream frowned deeply and groaned internally. So Airachnid had managed to retain some of her memories. Figured she would be a problem!

“If that’s true my dear then why don’t you tell me your name and what you were forged for. If you’re truly Well forged you should know these things already!” The young femme seemed worried for about two seconds before getting back in Starscream’s face.

“The name is Airachnid you functionalist loving lab rat and just because I was built to be proficient at a job shouldn’t mean I’m shackled to it! I just so happened to be lucky that I love biology and xenobiology and I am an renowned expert in my field so I highly doubt they would downgrade me from having my own ten plus mech team to being instructed by some prissy troglodyte who dares call himself a scientist just because he can fabricate an explosion!” So quite a few of her memories it seemed.

“Troglodyte! You just made that up and another thing I happen to also be a biologist and I have quite a few millenia on you so you should have heard of me!”

Airachnid didn’t miss a beat. “Afraid not. So if you are a biologist like you claim to be then you must be a washed up hack of one. Face it though any mech with decent optics can tell that you’re not built for field work. In fact let’s ask that poor engineer you likely kidnapped! Certainly he’d be the best judge!”

“Who are you even talking about?”

“The other mech you claimed you created of course! Primus for a biologist you’re certainly dense! Didn’t they teach you physiology at the academy?”

“I took it nine million years ago so I’m a little rusty! NOW NO MORE QUESTIONS FROM YOU! Knock Out do you have any questions?” Both Airachnid and Starscream turned to address the other mech but found the spot empty. “Wh-where did he go!”

“Don’t ask me I was talking to you!”

Slag couldn’t be hitting the fan this early on. “Aaarrggh!” Starscream swore through clenched denta as he grabbed at Airachnid’s wrist and dragged her off as the two went to search for Knock Out. The young femme fought and resisted but she didn’t quite have leverage on her side.

* * *

 

Megatron glowered down at the young mech Soundwave had dragged in. Despite the foul look he seemed to be buying the new young Decepticon who just so happened to be chasing after the Autobots new recruit act. After a new sloppy paint job and a new helm Soundwave found in Knock Out’s part closet Breakdown was as expected unrecognisable to the leader. Soundwave supposed he could have just told Megatron the truth but a young Decepticon trying to earn his place among the ranks was just a lot easier to explain plus there was no way he was mentioning his involvement with Starscream till they got Knock Out back to something remotely useful. Still Megatron was being overly cautious. “So explain to me again how you found Soundwave.”

“I was looking around for an energon mine sir! I saw him dumping a body and recognised him immediately Lord Megatron!”

“As you should. Now, again how did you get to earth to even witness what you say you saw?”

“Sir! I was following the Autobot Smokescreen. He escaped from one of our warships through an escape pod and I followed him in one as well. I found his pod but found no sign of him or a trail so low on fuel I had to act for myself.”

“A reasonable course of action rest assured. Now what’s your excuse for your distinct lack of Decepticon pride?”

“Lord Megatron Sir~ Mechs like me go where the money does so we can’t lock ourselves down. Well...couldn’t. Not now. Aint no money anymore. Only loyalty, and I’ve picked my side.” Breakdown dropped down into a low salute. Megatron’s gaze lingered on him for a minute longer before the leader turned to look at the windows of the ship.

“Yes….Well Straif I must say you find yourself lucky that you found Soundwave before you found me. I would have had trouble believing you if you didn’t have his approval behind you. Be that as it may you do have his trust behind you and we happen to find ourselves very short on mechs. So I am willing to put your frankly fickle nature behind you as long as you swear loyalty to me.”

“Here and forever Lord Megatron.”

“Good.” Megatron turned to look at Soundwave. “Find him a room Soundwave then get back to the databases. As for you Straif after you get your new quarters I want you to go clean up the medbay. We may no longer have a medic but I still want it to be a useable space for when I find another one. Medics can be so nitpicky after all. Don’t catch anything. Once you’re done with that….feel free to get acquainted with the ship till I need you. Soundwave will link you up.”

“Thank you Lord Megatron I won’t disappoint you.” Megatron stiffened a moment before a toothy smile smoothed over his face.

“Oh~ Don’t worry about that. I’ve learned to lower my standards. NOW GET TO WORK!” Breakdown stood and followed Soundwave out. He had to jog a bit to catch up but their strides soon evened out. Far away from the top deck Soundwave put an arm around the young mech’s shoulder. Breakdown turned to look at him.

“Did I do a good job commander Soundwave? Say everything right?” Soundwave nodded slowly and gave the smaller mech a few pats for good measure. Breakdown smiled back up at him. It reminded Soundwave of the twins. So eager to be useful. So proud whenever they were successful. The sight if it made the communications officer think bitter thoughts as he lead Breakdown to his old quarters.

Perhaps bringing the new mold to the quarters he had once shared with Knock Out was not the best plan but Soundwave did want to get back to the databases and what did it really matter. A room was a room. Soundwave didn’t expect Breakdown to have some cosmos shattering epiphanies the moment he walked in after all. And he certainly didn’t but the room did seem to affect him somewhat. Perhaps it was just him committing the location to memory or simply taking in the decently decorated room, considering it had been Knock Out’s room as well it was the only one on the ship besides Starscream’s that had any sort of personality, but Soundwave worried it was something more personal. He watched Breakdown slowly walk around the small room picking up things that belonged not to him but to Knock Out. Small paint and oil pots, tools, books, the medics ancient radio and chip player. Breakdown handled them all as if they were relics from a museum, not just some dead mechs junk that was cluttering his supposedly new living space. It made Soundwave worry a bit. He had told Megatron he had left to dump Knock Out’s body since he was far too gone for anything respectful but in truth the dead medic was still rotting in the medbay. The medbay Megatron had instructed the new recruit to clean. If Breakdown reacted like this to some of Knock Out’s stuff how was he going to react to seeing the medics corpse!

“ _Straif._ Stay.” Breakdown looked up from the radio in his servos and nodded but Soundwave was already stalking down the halls to the medbay.

Forcing open the doors Soundwave found the place empty and clean. Solvent puddles still lingering in the dented spots of the floor and the holes that had been burned in the metal still present but definitely cleaner than Soundwave had left the space. Dreadwing must have come in and removed Knock Out and sprayed the place down. Well at least that left Breakdown free to do whatever he wanted.With a sigh of relief Soundwave turned and headed back to the young bruiser.

After being relieved of his cleaning duties and hooked up to the communications system by Soundwave Breakdown found himself wandering the halls of the massive ship on his own. It was empty and quiet and lonely. Sure every now and again he would pass a working generic but they didn’t stop their work to say anything or even look at him as he passed although Breakdown swore they wanted to. He had caught fleeting glances as soon as he passed and hushed whispers before he got too close. Never loud enough for him to catch the words. It was all a little disheartening to be honest. Soundwave had….well he didn’t really talk so Breakdown supposed that the other mech conveyed that the state of the army was dire but nothing could have prepared him for how utterly isolated he felt. Perhaps it was for the best.

A few hours later as he was sitting in the small fuel room sipping at his rationed cube of energon things were looking up though…. or so he hoped. One of the generics who had been whispering with his friends suddenly stood and crossed over to Breakdown’s empty table and sat down.

“Hey.” Breakdown looked up at him.

“Hey.”

“Do you want to see something cool?”

“What is it?”

“It’s a surprise. If you are who I think you are you’ll want to see it.”

“Who you think I am? Who do you think I am?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just follow me.” Breakdown stood apprehensively and followed the shifty generic. He lead Breakdown down a long dark hall. Judging by the numbers on the plaques by the doors they were in personal quarters.

“Are we supposed to be here? My personal quarters are on the other side of the ship.”

“Yeah man don’t worry. These ones are just for the higher ups...not that you’re not high up enough- Listen hopefully if C-wing wasn’t a lying slagheap what I am about to show you should jog some- well let’s just say memories we’re not going to put good or bad labels on them.”

“O-kay.” Breakdown had no idea what the strange drone was talking about. What memories? Soundwave had said he had just been constructed today.

“We’re here.” The Vehicon pulled open the door to a small unused storeroom and turned on the alluring black light before stepping back to let Breakdown see in. “Check it out. Look at what they did to him.” Breakdown pushed past the other mech and stepped inside. On the high shelves were a few tattered pictures in broken frames. Around them were glowing crystals and small faintly glowing cubes of energon. On a lower shelf was an olive green helm with sweeping, curving sides and thin horns. Around it were more crystals and offerings but there were also dried up flowers and tattered foil paper letters written in a heavy script. Perfect teardrop shapes had caused several spots to oxidize into a chalky pink. On a table propped up by blocks and nestled in a bed of dark purple fabric was only half a mech. Scarred and pitted from sickness and death and yet it was still easy to see they had once been beautiful in life. Was this what the generic wanted him to see? Breakdown didn’t know this mech...and yet...something drew him to them. In his chest his spark ached and it moved him forward to be closer but the proximity only made the pain worse. Swill he couldn’t help but run a servo down the scarred chest plate, the tips of his digits thrumming weakly as he did so. Who was mech? A sudden wash of sorrow and rage flooded Breakdown. Heat and pain washed over his frame and lingered in all of his seams! He wanted to scream! He wanted to tear into something, SOMEONE! Someone needed to pay! He turned back quickly to the Vehicon and glared down at him.

“WHY DID YOU SHOW ME THIS?”

“I did it because the you I know would never let them get away with what they did to him. They brought him back to rot! They brought him back to suffer! Then they brought you back to replace him. I just thought you should know what you’re dealing with here. Make you remember what you’re dealing with.”

“I DON’T KNOW YOU! I DON’T KNOW HIM!”

“Then why are you crying for him dude?”

* * *

 

Starscream was laying sprawled out on the lab table for almost two hours now, Airachnid was bitterly shaping her talons considering she had nothing better to do since “Master” Starscream had cuffed her to a heavy piece of equipment. The two were both very low on fuel so they were both very sour and exhausted at the moment. “I should never have agreed to help that stupid junk heap of a spy! This was his plan all along. Trick me into wasting my rations by forcing me to waste fuel and energy on new model nonsense until I simply ran myself dry!”

Airachnid looked up to glare at the jet but with his position on the table and hers on the ground the only thing in view was one of his legs. “It wasn’t nonsense I was trying to escape. You didn’t have to chase after me.”

“Oh didn’t I? I’ve already lost Knock Out! If Soundwave came back and I was short both of you he might offline me on the spot!”

“That sounds like a you problem. I don’t care what you believe I’m my own mech and I’ll do as I please one way or another! Just wait.”

“I wish you the sincerest luck getting out of those cuffs my dear. Now shut up! If I have to starve to death I want to do it silence.” Starscream was of course being overdramatic. He was low thanks to foiling Airachind’s escape attempt but he had enough left to go out and find fuel if Soundwave had truly tried to trick him. Still if Soundwave was just trying to trick him he would have to get rid of Airachnid. He could just let her but she would remain a problem that way.

A sudden distant banging tore him from his dark thoughts. Either it was Knock Out, the vehicons Soundwave had promised, or death. At this point Starscream didn’t care because at least it was something. He stood cautiously and made his way towards the noise. As hoped it was coming from the entrance door of the ship so Starscream broke into a jaunty run to greet and berate the generics.

 As he tore open the door he screamed at the two unsuspecting Vehicons. “WHY IN THE PIT ARE YOU SO LATE!” The two who had grabbed at each other for safety looked cautiously at each other.

“Uhh late? It was still light outside when we left.”

“Well it’s dark here! It’s called time zones you idiots! I’ve been waiting all day for you!”

“Oh. Sorry Commander Starscream. Commander Soundwave didn’t want us leaving till Lord Megatron wouldn’t notice us using the bridge. If it makes it any better we already mined some fuel for you.” All you have to do is refine it.” Starscream snarled as he turned on his heel.

“Then get inside already! Do you know how long that’s going to take me? Primus you drones are so inconsiderate!” The two generics cleared there vocalizers as they untangled themselves from one another before grabbing at the full minecart and following Starscream deeper into the derelict ship. The taller aerial urging his grounder companion to keep with the jet’s pace.

“Commander Starscream-”

“Yes what is it?!”

The generic stumbled over his words. “We-well I-I-I-We-we’re both just glad you’re still functioning and want you to rest assured that we’ll protect you should something...happen. Sir.” The drone behind lolled his head in his best equivilent attempt at rolling his optics at his fellow drones sucking up. He gave the minecart a heavy push knocking the heavy metal into the taller generics popliteal. The aerial jumped with a shout causing Starscream to swivel to face the commotion.

“WAHT! What’s wrong!” The Vehicon rubbed at the back of his helm sheepishly as Starscream looked around for nothing.

“Sorry Commander. T556j got ahead of me with the cart.”

“Oh.” Starscream’s frame slouched significantly before he straightened up, his wings flittering lowly before going as high as they could. “Well then stop fooling around! We don’t have the liberties of risking fuel after all!”

“Yes sir!” The aerial vehicon glared back at his friend but the trio completed the short trip in silence. As they entered into the dimly lit lab the two generics couldn’t help but look around. There had been so many rumors that Starscream was trying to recruit dozens of loyal Decepticons who were just done with Megatrons rule to build up his own base and cause so to find out that the proud jet was just living in an abandoned Decepticon ship, and not even a very nice one at that, was just a bit of a let down. The two drones were surprised to see Airachnid on the ground chained to a centrifuge. After C-wing had spotted Soundwave painting up Breakdown every Vehicon on the Nemesis had learned of the old officers….reforging? None of them really knew how the spy had done it but the new mech the communications officer had dragged aboard was most definitely some version of the old mining officer and no paint or new helm could hide that from the Vehicons. Had they somehow reforged Airachnid as well? He was about to ask when his partner got to the question first.

“Uhh Sir? We weren’t exactly filled in on all the details so what’s she doing here?”

“I’ve been asking him that myself to no avail so good luck buster.” Airachnid interrupted Starscream before he could respond.

“Pay her no mind! All you need to know is never uncuff her and make sure she stays fueled up.” Starscream walked around the small lab flicking on the needed refining equipment. The lights flickered from the surge of demanded power put stayed lit. Thank Primus. “There is something one of you could do for me.”

The aerial drone perked up, standing at attention, “Anything Commander Starscream!”

“We also happened to revive the good Doctor but...he’s gone missing.”

The aerial Vehicon had crumpled in on himself and was visibly shaking now. “O-oh?”

Starscream sighed as he fiddled with the centrifuge. Airachnid attempting to kick at his peds. “I’m afraid so, so.. could one of you go find him?”

The aerial Vehicon looked towards his friend something about him clearly begging the grounder to take the task. T556j lolled his head dramatically to the side again but turned around to head off back into the hall. “I got it Sir.”

To be honest T556j was happier to be out in the hall. He understood that most of his fellow generics didn’t like Knock Out because he did his job and he did his job for the cause. Which didn’t turn out to be so great if you were disposable. The one does not outweigh the needs of the many if you were a vehicon or if you were really anyone else in Knock Out’s optics. The medic and most other medics as far as the generic could remember couldn’t even be bother about giving any special treatment to any specific high ranking officer. Which was why and rightfully so Megatron hated them since they all ,deep down in their sparks, hated the warlord. But at least that made them fair. The Decepticon way and all that. Of course things always happened to turn out for the higher officers one way or another so it made most medics brutal life or death judgement seem somewhat biased. Generics like himself didn’t last long. Considering how they were built they just simply weren’t worth it.

Still if you were a Vehicon most either sided Starscream or Breakdown and since most vehicons were miners and Breakdown was the only worthwhile mining commander they ever had, Dreadwing was decent enough but he wasn’t exactly personable, most vehicons had just learned to accept Knock Out instead of fearing him. Then there were few like himself who learned how to get on his goodside. It didn’t stop there for him though because t556j had actually managed to earn the mad doctors trust. There were a few others but after Breakdown’s death he was the only one who had stuck it out. He had been there when the Doctor needed him most and it certainly payed off. It wasn’t as hard as most mechs would expect considering the Doctor’s stance on generics but it did require some work. He had to learn, actually learn something about the world around him and himself. He had to come to peace with his lot in life and realize that that slag wasn’t what he wanted out of life. He had to survive and fight and win! He had to make himself noticed. After every fight, after the laserburns and the bullet holes and the shorn off peds and arms he had to make Knock Out notice him and after enough battles Knock Out had finally taken notice. There wasn’t any upward mobility for a generic unless you knew the right mechs. T556j had come with the Doctor from his own ship, he had been Knock Out’s personal “Servant” for too long. Most mechs didn’t really care to talk about life spans. Young and old depended on mods and color schemes for the most part but for generics T556j was ancient and all those years mattered. It made his “life” matter. Made it important. Made it precious. Still despite his meager status he chose to go out with his fellow drones on mining missions. He fought the Bots because he had his own vendettas! He lived to come back another day because every mech needed someone they could trust and for Knock Out it was him. Better a mech who was expected to die the next day then someone who would live to use it against him after all. Despite all he had learned he still didn’t have much in the way of medical know how though so when the Doctor really needed someone he couldn’t do a damn thing. And that burned. Everything he had ever fought for, everything he had lived for had been with the Doctor and he couldn’t do a damn thing to stop if from slipping through his digits! He was going to be nothing again. Thankfully his humility had served him as well. Soundwave’s own trusted drones had told him what the spy had done. So now here he was chasing after boss again. Felt good, certainly felt better than where he was a day ago up on the launch deck.

 

The grounders slow tour of the ship came to a halt when he spotted a busted wall panel. Not unusual for a downed ship but considering the screws had all been expertly unscrewed it was a bit of a red flag. T556j ducked into the hole and walked deeper into the ship’s guts eventually the sound of someone soldering became quite apparent. The Vehicon followed it to a more open hollow of the ships internals and found a small lanky mech hung by his peds in one of ship’s generators working away. Was this really what Knock Out looked like before all his fancy mods? T556j had always assumed there was something he hated about himself that made him do it but he was still good looking as ever. In a different way but still the Doctor was always saying that there wasn’t any good reason to ruin a good thing unless it wasn’t yours. T556j took down a small set of stairs and tapped at the glass casing of the generator to get Knock Out’s attention. Knock Out stopped his soldering and looked up at the Vehicon with wide silver optics.

“Come on Doc! Starscream wants to see you to make sure you didn’t run off.” Knock Out continued to stare at T556j for some time but he never replied and eventually he just went right back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading till the end! Hope you liked it! Kudos, comments, and requests as usual are appreciated.


	3. Bad plan from the beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another story another Knock Out backstory I've thought up. Airachnid will finally have some time to shine now. Yay?

Starscream was working the refining equipment when T556j returned. The other aerial was nowhere in sight. “Commander where is 10B489AA?” Starscream looked up from his equipment about to tell the other drone to mind his own business and finish the task he was assigned but Knock Out was quite visible by his side.

 

“Oh-I sent him off to scavenge any metal he could for the ship. I finally found a replicator when I was looking for a outlet and I’ve decided that with Knock Out’s help we’re going to get this ship off the ground. Now that I have you two and the right equipment there’s nothing really forcing us to go back to Megatron. We’ll play nice with Soundwave till things are ready but once they are we’re leaving this filthy planet and taking the war someplace new! What do you think?”

 

“I think you’re an idiot! Does my vote matter.”

 “NO IT DOESN’T NOW STAY QUIET!” Starscream held himself back from kicking Airachnid but just barely. He had to remember she wasn’t the same. He could sway her. He could prove that he knew what was best. He wouldn’t let Megatron ruin them again. “Drone, bring Knock Out here and hand over the datapads Soundwave supplied you with.” T556j rested and servo just a bit above Knock Out’s back and guided him over to Starscream, digging through his subspace with his other servo for the datapads.

 “Don’t know what good they’re going to do to be honest Commander. Knock Out was a practical learner after all. Plus I don’t know if he can read.” Starscream’s digits stilled on the keyboard.

 “Why do you think that?”

 “Well Sir, he can’t speak and I don’t even think he can hear us.” Starscream quickly stalked over.

 

“WHAT?” He swiftly grabbed Knock Out by his face and forced the young mech to look up at him. “Knock Out! Repeat after me. Good morning Starscream, looking ravishing today as always.” Knock Out looked up at the older mech with wide terrified optics, his frame already shaking. The drone was right Knock Out hadn’t picked up a word and now he likely thought he was in trouble and getting yelled at. Below Airachnid was laughing.

 

“I can’t believe you thought this baseform engineer would actually have audials! Some biologist! What good would hearing or vocals do when he would have spent his life around machinery that’s so loud it would drive him mad if he had to listen to it all day! You wasted half your resources on a mech you can’t talk to or understand, priceless! Caste segregation at it’s finest am I right?” Airachnid taunted Starscream in a sing song way that bordered on sarchasm.

 “QUIET YOU! I am getting quite tired of your attitude darling so unless you want to spend the next few cycles in a closet I suggest you cut the sass!” Starscream quickly turned back to Knock Out whose frame was shivering visibly now and who was clearly trying to squirm from the hold he was under. Starscream calmly pat Knock Out’s helm a few times, a forced smile on his lips. “I haven’t dealt with caste differences in almost five million years forgive me if I’ve forgotten a few things. I’ve dealt with this before. I just have to figure out what code he uses to communicate.”

 “Those codes are installed not inherently known~” Starscream bit at a knuckle as he looked down at the still shrinking Knock Out doing his best to ignore Airachnid’s taunts. He couldn’t give up. Knock Out couldn’t be a total blank slate if the others weren’t!

 “You wouldn’t have figured out what it was anyway commander. Knock Out was cold constructed for a private company, I’m pretty sure he had audials installed and even if he didn’t have audials he would have been taught a specific private code only a servoful of mechs would have known.”

 “Cold constructed? Really? I always assumed Knock Out was forged.”

 “Yes Commander. I highly doubt this was the form he was constructed with though. More likely this is what he would have looked like should his spark had the time to forge his frame traditionally. Perhaps even a mixture of the two. If the spark can dictate the metal there might be parts of his frame that are similar to what he had before. His optics are definitely that he would have been constructed with no way he would have been forged with those.”

 

“No need to get philosophical. Keep focused! He can make noises so clearly he can speak but as Airachnid so lovingly put in he clearly doesn’t have audio capability. So it would be a feat to teach him right now. Once we get him a little more like himself he can forge himself his own pair of audials. Till then he does in fact have a working pair of optics so I am quite positive that he can in fact read. You think they’re strange though. Why?”

 

“Not really strange Commander just unique. Knock Out mentioned once he was forged to be a medical engineer and product designer for a mech named Diamondglare. From what he told me the mech had a deformity in his optics so energon couldn’t get to them. Made him mostly blind but thanks to his caste no one thought anything of it. Supposedly the company built…...commercial service bots of all sorts. Small business. Very pricey merchandise. So to distinguish his product from the rest he would install glass lenses in the optics to distort the color of the energon. I don’t know why he’d have the silver optics too but I guess the old slagger kept on brand for everything. Which is why he might remember something of what he should look like.”

 

Starscream finished scrawling out a simple message and handed it over to Knock Out to hopefully read. “ I remember that rich slagger. A lunatic. Very nice products. Not a surprise he never designed a damn thing himself. Quite a lucky break for Knock Out though. Not many Cold constructed bots were ever given jobs that their sparks were actually forged for.”

 

“Functionalists said it made them distant and easily distinguishable from their Well forged counterparts. That’s why they were never fond of the practice. Not like it stopped them from letting it continue and depleting Cybertron’s metal!” Starscream glared down at Airachnid.

 

“Yes. Thank you Airachnid we get it you hate functionalists. We all hate them here you’re not special!” Primus Knock Out was practically a useless lump and yet Airachnid was remembering more and more by the second! Why was the universe so against him and his endeavors even when they were kind ones!

 

Knock Out had calmed down noticeably now and was trying to grab the stylus from Starscream’s digitips but quickly gave up with the wildly gesturing jet and used his own thin digits to scribble out something before passing it back over. Starscream carefully looked the pad over. Knock Out had definitely wrote something, a long paragraph in fact, but for the life of him the jet couldn’t read it. Starscream dropped the pad onto the table. “Well….he’s not illiterate. Give him the books.” T556j quirked his head.

 

“Sir what did he say?”

 “It’s not important.”

 “Which is code for he can’t read it. Honestly why haven’t you taken that poor mech and ran already”

 T556j looked up from Airachnid. “Sir?”

 “It’s nothing but gibberish! Forgive me for not being fluent in lines and squares!” Starscream tossed the drone the datapad with a huff.

 T556j looked over the pad. “Sir this is just shorthand.”

 “No it is not I understand shorthand!”

 “Is...is there more than one? This is the one that Breakdown taught us.”

 “I- well I suppose there could be. If you can read the gibberish than tell me what he wrote.”

 “There’s at least seven.”

 “What are you a linguist now too!”

 “Come now Commander~ Why would an engineer care about scientific shorthand? It’s made for equations and chemicals not pipe diameters and gear sizes.” Starscream curled his claws at the femme menacingly.This was turning into a wreck. He hadn’t had to deal with this slag for over four million years!”

 

“Soldier! Tell me what he wrote.” The light in T556j’s visor shot to one side in something akin to a glare but he quickly pushed down his own pride. “Says his name is...Cabochon, then it’s just a diagnosis of the ship.”

 

Starscream’s eyes went wide with slight surprise. It wasn’t unusual for Cons to have changed their names. A smart move on the medics part really. Cabochon. Such a haughty title but one Knock Out fit well. Still knowing that the medic hadn’t always gone by Knock Out meant that there was new information he could look up. Information he would know and Soundwave wouldn’t. Not like it would matter all that much. Still it was an appealing thought. “Ask him why he writes in shorthand if he can clearly read regular neocybex. Also why his first instinct was to run off and start futzing with my ship!” The vehicon sighed bitterly as he cleared off the pad and started writing a new message.

 

“Sir wasn’t your main goal to get this ship fixed up? He is obviously engineer class perhaps it was just what he assumed he should be doing. If he has any memories at all he knows what he’s good at he probably just put two and two together.”

 

“Well we will let him tell us. Far easier than guessing his motives.”

 

“Good point sir.” The two let Knock Out scribble away, when he was done he handed the pad off to the Vehicon. T556j read it in silence, looking back at the younger mech to slowly shake his head. Knock Out’s optics turned to saucers.

 

“WHAT ARE YOU TELLING HIM?”

 

“Relax Commander he just wanted to know if he was in trouble. Says you wouldn’t hand over the stylus so shorthand was just easier and the reason he ran off was because the ship called out to him for help. The Harbinger’s not an old carrier is it?”

“He shouldn’t be talking. Moonsweeper’s processor went dead eons ago!”

 

“That’s, and if I may speak above my station, unlikely sir. If most of his internal computers function then he can’t be entirely dead.”

 

“Yes well alright it didn’t go dead it was turned off like Trypticon’s was. He was going insane and we needed him to function.”

 

“If that’s true then he can still communicate other ways. There a dozens of nonverbal cues. Would you like me to ask him to clarify?”

 

“No,no that’s not important at the moment. I need him to be more….Knock Out before we get to any of that. I want the Harbinger to fly I don’t want Harbinger back! That would be much too difficult a task even for Knock Out at his best let alone what we’re dealing with now!”

 

“But sir wouldn’t having a carrier mech fully functional be much more an asset?”

 

“Of course it would but I would have to convince him to stay with us and not run off to Megatron! Too risky. Just give Knock Out the books he needs to read and tell him to not touch anything till I tell him to.”

* * *

 

 Breakdown had found himself returning to the small closet cycle after cycle. Before every mission. After every mission. In the painful moments when his processor became tight and staticky. He still had no memory of the dead mech but his spark was still drawn to the corpse. The lingering energy surrounding it almost made him feel calm, like he wasn’t alone. So with orders to assist the miners on a new energon deposit Breakdown found himself making a quick trip to the store closest. As he neared the room though he found it occupied by the large stony jet.

 Dreadwing was alerted by the sudden stop of running peds, the jet looked out into the hall only to see the new recruit awkwardly trying to hide...well trying to be less noticeable. Either way it didn’t work. Dreadwing gave the young Con a long hard look effectively letting him know he had been spotted. “Is it you who has been intruding here. Answer me.”

 Breakdown stuttered and shuffled in place as he tried not to look up at the bigger mech. “I promise I didn’t ruin anything I ju-ju-j-”

 “How did you know he was here?”

 Breakdown continued to stumble. He didn’t want to oust the Vehicons but he couldn’t think of a plausible lie either! “I-I-I-I just found it! I’m sorry I won’t come back!” Breakdown turned to run but Dreadwing called out to him to stop so he froze. He couldn’t disobey a higher officer.

 Dreadwing had heard the Vehicons gossiping about the new recruit non stop since he had arrived and despite a few differences mostly size it was easy to see that the young mech did closely resemble the fallen mining commander. Same face, same golden optics, same stocky frame. Dreadwing also knew Knock Out quite well. The medic had always been careful but his fear and apprehension for battle had grown exponentially. Megatron’s madness and the Primes ruthlessness were surly a factor but...Knock Out and Breakdown’s relationship was secret but it was a badly hidden one. Soundwave had taken something from Knock Out before his death. Something that had needed energon to keep it alive. Something that kept Knock Out alive despite his grave injuries. Of course a sparkling would be drawn to the only connection it had left. Even as faint as Knock Out was now. The reality Dreadwing slowly pieced together disgusted him. This is what had become of the Decepticon command. Abducting the offspring of a fallen comrade to make into just another disposable soldier. “It isn’t your fault. You were drawn to him? Felt something in your spark when you saw him so you continued to return to him?”

 “I- uh- I guess. Yeah.” The jet wasn’t completely wrong at least.

 “Come here. You’re welcome to visit him but I will have to warn you I will have to deal with him soon. I can’t keep him here forever.” Breakdown inched closer to the jet and the room, testing the mech’s words. Dreadwing proved kinder than he first thought. The two looked on in silence at the still frame in the bed till the mech spoke up Softly and filled with guilt.“The rust is already taking him. I’m sorry I didn’t do that good of a job he was already in such a poor condition. You shouldn’t have to see him this way.”

 

“I don’t even know who he is. You don’t have to apologise.”

 

“He’s a part of you. Two sparks that came together to create a new one.” Breakdown’s vent’s hitched for a moment as his spark thrummed painfully in his chest. It certainly felt as if the jet new what he was talking about.

 

“What happened to him?”

 

“A folly of pride. He tried to get revenge for the murder of your sire and though he won he lost his life. They ripped you from his frame and made a soldier out of you.”

 

Breakdown felt sick. So the vehicon had been telling the truth. Soundwave he- He didn’t necessarily lie when he briefed Breakdown. He just said that he and the other silver jet had made him. Created him to be a soldier to replace the one they had lost. All he had to do was play along and everything would be alright. And it had been.These other mechs were just filling in more blanks. Blanks that were likely uncomfortable to fill to a just onlined mech. Still the intent of Soundwave’s actions and his creation left a bad taste in his mouth.Perhaps he shouldn’t just be following along. He couldn’t act brashly he needed to know more of the story. “Sir?” Dreadwing looked down at him, “Soundwave informed me I would be a soldier, a commander even. What are we even doing here besides mining?”

 

“Our home, Cybertron was once peaceful but unfair. A select few chose to do something about it. Differences of opinion and approach spiraled out until two warring parties were created. A civil war. Decepticon versus Autobot. Our war destroyed our planet and yet we still fight. Decepticons for the right of all Cybertronians under any circumstances. Those who have the strength and will and intelligence will rule and prevail and those that can’t will serve under one strong enough or smart enough to protect them. The Autobots favor a more peaceful approach yet messy ideal. They think freedom and prosperity is the right to all living beings. That things should be done with democracy where every mech, every creature’s voice and idea’s matter. An honorable ideal but not a very consolidated or efficient one. At least that’ is what it was at the start. Which caused our war to tear through the galaxy taking tolls wherever we landed. Now unfortunately morals and intent have become muddled. Our leaders have grown selfish, complacent, and fearful of one another. Even hateful. In our ruthless nature we turned on ourselves and there is nothing to stop it besides will.”

 

Breakdown’s glare would have bore a hole in the metal of the floor if it could with how intent he was staring. The more he learned the more he hated what he was awoken into. “Sir?”

 

Breakdown’s voice had grown to less than a whisper. Smart new model although Soundwave could likely not hear them in a measly storage closet but then again Soundwave’s skills were like no other mechs.“Yes?”

 

“Sir what if I don’t want to stay here. What if I don’t want to fight. What he,” Breakdown gestured to Knock Out, “ have wanted for me. What would my sire have wanted for me?”

 

Dreadwing was silent for a moment as he thought. “Knock Out would want you to stay. He was cunning and he could be cruel. He looked out for himself and the ones he loved but but most of his charm and goodwill was a well crafted mask that he used to it’s fullest. Still he cared enough to use what skills he had to serve others. He didn’t see himself as a hero despite often being one so he was a realistic, practical medic. Not the type for miracles. Despite our abysmal morale and our lack of higher command we have more resources, mechs, and weapons at our disposal. We have no medic however so you must be ever watchful. Ruthless but prudent. I can teach you what medicine I know and if you feel up to it Knock Out left a few decent books behind. Both he and Breakdown were skilled healers so you may find it easier to pick up than the rest of us. That is if you want to stay.

 

Breakdown, your sire, I don’t think he would want you to continue on under Megatron’s command. He once fought for the Autobot cause. He continued to believe in the morals that the Autobots stood for even after joining. He suffered greatly at Decepticon servos. Turned along with his friends into a monster that was forced to fight for our cause. When he and his friends became more trouble than they were worth they were abandoned and they each went their separate ways. Breakdown found Knock Out. He fell in love with him. So instead of going back to the side he believed in he stayed with the Cons and he paid the price. There is no loyalty among us anymore. I will protect you as well as I can but there’s no guarantee you'll make it. So you can leave and join the Autobots. If you tell Optimus, their leader, who you are he will let you stay. They will be weary of you but it will pass. They can do tests. Prove your word is good. You can fight for them. If they lose however and Optimus is defeated they will likely not recover just as we wouldn’t if Megatron died. However if we lose to the Autobots they would be merciful. Megatron will not be as merciful if he wins. Especially now that you have given him your loyalty. He despises traitors.”

 

“What if I don’t want to fight? What if I don’t want to go to them or stay here?” Again Dreadwing was silent. This time for much longer than before.

 

“....I...I don’t think you will survive long on your own but you could steal some energon and go off on your mining mission and never return. You could convince some Vehicons to say their was an accident. Your existence would be short lived and bittersweet but not mourned. You could try to find other mechs hidden on earth. Knock Out once told me that there were quite a few most notably the Autobots had four new molds in hiding off the east coast of the particular landmass we’re flying over now. A place called Gryffin Rock Main. You could lie and say you need help. That you are just another weary survivor. They could put you to some use there. Megatron has no knowledge of them. The war wouldn’t touch you there, You could also go find another aerial named Starscream. He’s been hiding out in the desert region of this landmass. I can’t tell you what he would make you do but it would give to time to grow.”

 

Starscream. That must have been the other jet. While his time at the strange lab had been brief Breakdown had noticed two other mechs still in holding. If he left how long would it be till Soundwave went to collect them to fight for Megatron? If was going to leave he could save them too.“Thank you sir.”

 

“Everyone should have a choice to do what they think is best for them. If you want to go to the Autobots I can tip them off about the mine. Don’t fire upon them and call off any Vehicons who try to attack. They will talk to you.”

 

“I think I’ll try to go to the one’s you mentioned. The other new molds. I...I’d like time to think before joining the fight. I don’t want to just be another forgotten casualty. I want my creators to have died for something.”

 

“Go to the energon stores take more than what you think you’ll need and go on your mission. Make sure to remove the chip that Soundwave installed in your systems. Before you start your trip scan the first earth vehicle your form can take. Nothing flashy. You want to blend in. Do not stop driving unless you find a large group of cars to take a break in. Stick to wooded paths that the jets would have difficulty over. That’s all I can give you.”

 “Thank you sir.”

 “Go now. Don’t draw any more attention to yourself than you already have.”

* * *

 

“Hey!”

 Starscream had gone off with the the Aerial drone for a fly around the desert leaving the intelligent grounder to keep watch. He had spent a few hours watching over the two but with Knock Out just taking medical self study tests and reading texts books Starscream had give him he quickly grew bored. So since after Starscream banned Knock Out from fixing the ship the ship itself had started to almost pitch a fit. Random fires and leaks and power outages left them all on the tips of their peds so T556j went off to sneak in some maintenance in the hopes to calm the poor mech whose insides they were living in. Which left Knock Out and Airachnid alone.

 The femme was not going to pass up her chance to escape. Starscream had either forgotten or didn’t care that she was tied to the centrifuge when the jet was teaching the young medic hopeful a simplistic signal code. So she could talk to the engineer if she could only get his attention. When her first call failed she tried another approach. “Sorry big guy, no hard feelings.” With a whispered apology to the supposedly somewhat sentient ship Airachnid slammed one of her legs into the ground causing it to stir. Knock Out looked up from his datapads. Airachnid waved one of her bound servos and beckoned the other mech over. Knock Out gave the hall a quick glance before quietly nearing. As he sat Airachnid flared her optics signaling a simple hello. Knock Out flashed his headlights in greeting as well. With his full attention she made a dramatic show of her cuffed servos and pulled a frown. Knock Out flashed her his lights.

 

“Help?” She nodded. Knock Out stood and shuffled around looking for some sort of key but came back with empty servos. Luckily as an engineer build he was forged with a few perks. Opening an aperture in the palm of his servo he grabbed at the cuffs and shot a wave of electric into them. Airachnid’s servos took a bit of damage but she couldn’t care less as she watched the cuffs pop open and fall to the ground useless now. She shook her numbed servos as she stood, looking around for a spare datapad so she could write something out for the other mech. The small lab was a mess of equipment and books that it was hassle to find anything that was blank! Finally finding one that Knock Out had been using for self testing she cleared it off and started scrawling out a message.

 

As she handed it over Knock Out took it tentatively. ‘Cabochon right? Name’s Airachnid. Don’t know about you but I’m bored out of my processor and I bet you could use a break yourself. Wanna have a little fun?’ Knock Out looked back over at his pile of datapads and then back at the young femme. He was already halfway through the medical tests surely Starscream wouldn’t get too mad at him for taking a break.


End file.
